Footrest and rudder pedal



1950 w. J. WEINFURT 2,519,804

FOOTREST AND RUDDER PEDAL Filed Jan. 29, 1946 i WlLLiAM J. WEINF'URT I I& INVENTOR kl AGENT Patented Aug. 22, 1950 FOOTREST AND RUDDER PEDALWilliam J. Weinfurt, Stratford, Conn., assignor to United AircraftCorporation, East Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationJanuary 29, 1946, Serial No. 644,112

This invention relates to a device for controlling the heading ofhelicopters, which device is adapted for providing a footrest for anoccupant of a seat thereof.

In observation type helicopters there are usually provisions for dualcontrols so that either occupant of the occupants portion thereof canfly the ship. However, for normal operation and at times duringoperation when the pilots may change off in flying the ship, it isdesirable that the occupant not flying the ship be provided withcomfortable facilities therein. Hitherto, the occupant who was notflying the ship has been required to keep his hands and feet well awayfrom the manual controls so as not tointerfere with the operation of theship by contact of an operating part with parts of his body. In otherinstances, the ship has been designed so as to provide extra space toplace the feet of the occupant so as to keep parts of the body clear ofthe controls, but such structure is not capable of being placed in thesmallest space conducive to the best configuration of the occupantsportion of the helicopter.

It is an object of this invention to provide means for controlling ahelicopter, which means may be disabled to provide footrests for anoccupant thereof.

A further object is to provide a device as set forth in the precedingobject which will occupy a minimum of floor space in the helicopter.

The foregoing and other objects will be either obvious or pointed out asthe description proceeds and includes the details of construction andthe arrangement of parts of what is now considered to be a preferredembodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanyin drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a helicopter with parts of the forwardportion thereof broken away to show the arrangement of the interior;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a foot pedal in an active position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the device in theinactive or footrest position; and

Fig. 4 is a partial plan View of Fig. 3.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the helicopter is providedwith a body It sustained in operation by rotor blades l2 suitablysecured to the body and turned by an engine in any wellknown manner,which body It has a forward occupants portion l4. Also turned by theengine is a tail rotor l6 which has a variable pitch device for alteringthe thrust of the tail rotor [6 to control the heading of thehelicopter, and also to 1 Claim. (01. 74-560) counterbalance the torqueof the main rotorblades I2. The pitch mechanism has not been shown butmay be of that type shown in the patent of I. I. Sikorsky, No.2,318,259. The pitch changing mechanism is controlled by a pair ofcables 20 which lead to dual control pairs of foot pedals generallyindicated by the reference character 22.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the foot pedals are all alike and aremounted upon brackets 24 supported by a floor 26 of the helicopter. Thebrackets 24 have a pivot 28 which mounts a depending arm 30 which isconnected by a pivot 32 to a rod 34 which connects the forward andrearward foot pedals 22 and also is connected with one of the cables 20.Also mounted upon the pivot 28 is a pedal member 36 which may be ofpressed sheet metal having a depending flange 38 around its sides and atoe piece 40 extending upwardly from its foremost end. A collapsiblestrut mechanism 42 is made up of a first link 44 and a second link 46pivoted together upon a pin 48 and separately fixed upon a pin 56 to thepedal 36 and pivoted on a pin 52 to the arm 33. A spring 54 is connectedat 54a to a clip 56 secured to the pedal 36, which spring is connectedto link 44 at 541) and biases the link 44 in a clockwise direction aboutthe axis of pin 50 into a limiting position as shown in Fig. 2 in whichabutting ends of the links 44 and 46 engage each other to form a rigidstrut connection between the pedal member 36 and the arm 30.

With the device in the pedal operative position as shown in Fig. 2, whenan operator depresses the pedal 36, the strut mechanism 42 will transferforce to the arm 36 so that the rod 34 will be moved backwardly. Throughthe cable connection 20, the companion foot pedal of the pair will beraised an amount corresponding to the amount that the other pedal of thepair is depressed.

When it is desired to render a pedal 36 inactive, the pin 59 is rotatedin a counterclockwise direction by an extension 62, to rotate theattached link 44 of the strut mechanism into the position shown in Fig.3 in which the action of the spring 54 is no longer biasing the strutmembers 44 and 45 into a straightened position. It will be noted that inthe Fig. 3 position of the strut mechanism the pedal 36 has moved aboutits pivot 28 until the shorter heel end of the pedal abuts a horizontalflange on bracket 24 which forms a portion of the floor and that in thisposition of the pedal the point 541) is located adjacent an imaginaryline drawn between pivot 28 and point 54a so that any force produced bythe spring is exerted against the pivot 28. Due to the weight of thepedal and particularly the toe piece 40 thereof the pedal will remain inthe Fig. 3 position until again placed in active position by theoperator. In order for the operator to place the pedal in the activeposition again, it is only necessary to rotate the extension 62 in aclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3 so that the toggle links:44 and M6 will assume the position shown in Fig. 2.

With the device in the position shown in Fig. 3,

as the other pedals are actuated, the depending.

memberforlcontrolling the aircraft, pilot operated 'contrclimechanismiorsaidinember including a ipcdal pivoted interinediate its :ends adjacentsaid floor, said pedal havin an operating portion forward of its -pivo'twhich-normally projects above the fiooriand havin a shorter abutment.por ion aft of its'pivot'movable' intoengagement with the 11001, afoldable strut pivotal'ly connected atone of its ends to the operatingportion of said pedal and pivotally connected at its opposite end tosaid actuatable member, said str-ut having a straightened operativeposition in which movement of said pedal about its pivot is transmittedthrough said strut to said actuatable member and also having a foldedinoperative position, resilient means.fonbiasing-said strutlinto' saidstraightened position in the normalpperative position of said pedalincluding a tension spring connected between said pedal and said strutand adapted to haveiits connection to said strut disposed adjacent aline connecting the pivotal support for said pedal and thepivotalconnection of said pedal to said'strut in 'the folded position of thelatter.

"WILLIAM J. WEINFUR'I.

REFERENCES CITED The 'following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS "Nlmiber Name Date 289,949 Winter Dec..l1, 18831,177,054 Taylor Mar. 28, .1916 .lg'7-52g11-8 @Spencer Mar.25, 1930.1,8.'Z4';493 .Geignetter iAug. 30, 1932 2,284,003 .Luppert May 26, 19422,318,259 Sikorsky May 4, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date358,538 'Great Britain Oct-5, 1931

